NC businesses along I-95 tally tolling impact

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — Opponents say plans to charge a toll on Interstate 95 in North Carolina will make it more difficult for businesses to quickly and cheaply ship goods up and down the highway.

I-95 has been free for decades and is the East Coast’s main thoroughfare. North Carolina, Virginia and Missouri all are considering tolls as a way to pay for expanding and upgrading interstates. The home-improvement warehouse retailer Lowe’s Cos. says the cost from tolls on I-95 may have to be passed on to consumers.

Suppliers send trucks to the Lowe’s distribution center just off I-95 near the Virginia line, and Lowe’s sends its trucks from there to stores. A company spokeswoman says suppliers may pass the cost from tolls on to Lowe’s, which would in turn have to raise prices at its stores.